Time-fuse for explosive projectiles.



W. M. WILHELM & K. RUSHTON.

TIME FUSE FOR EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILES- APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 916.

1,227,720. Patented May 29,1917.

t st: Inventors:

- I W y g/W V LMJWTM v r j according to the requirementsat the time UNITD sTATEsPATENT FFI E WALTER M. WILHELM, or swnnrnmonn, Ann KENNETHnnsn'ron, or winxnvnwoon,

PENNSYLVANIA.

TIME-FUSE ron nxrnoszvn. rRoJEcTILEs.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that we, WALTER M. WIL HELMand KENNETH RUsHToN, citizens of the United States, and residing,respectively, at Swarthmore, in the county of Delaware, in the State ofPennsylvania,

' and at Wynnewood, in the county of Mont gomery, in-the' State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTime-Fuses for Explosive Projectiles, of which the following 1s aspecific a the accompany-' tion, reference being had to ing drawing,forming a part hereof;

In time fuses as heretofore constructed, in which the release of thefiring-pin at the predetermined time is efl ected by the operation of aclock movement, driven'by vention'to provide means whereby not only" aspring, the --clock movement is mounted on the base of the fuse and iscovered by a cap which ismounted 'rotatably "on the; cap are assembledthe clock-spring is wound up, being inaccessible after the cap has beenapplied base; before the base and to the base,

and for the purpose of enabling the instant of explosion to bedetermined,

of firmg, a coupling is'provided between the cap and the controlling,disk or Wheel which is carried frictionally by the clock movement, sothat by rotation of the cap the controlling disk may also be rotatedthrough the desired angle; the coupling between the cap. and thecontrolling disk is so constructed and arranged that it will bedisengaged either through centrifugal action or through the action ofinertia at the time when the projectile is discharged from the gun;means are also provided for pre ventmg movement of the clock-train untilit is released on As the time be- "tween the assembling of the fuse andits use Vmay sometimes be considerable, the

r'clock-spring may deteriorate or suffer some change through, being keptcontinuously under tension. It is the object of this inmay theclock-spring remain relaxed until v the time of use and be then putunder ten sion, but also the provision of means independent of'th'e. coulingbetween the cap and the controlling to prevent startlng theclock-train may be avoided. In accordance with the invention the stafiof the l b' ing is provided with a 7 partly the projectile; a cap 6.

other end with a winding pinion'm gearlwhich may be engaged by awin'ding pinion introduced at the time of use of the projectile throughan aperture provided for that purpose in the "cap, so that the windingof the spring may take place immediately-before the use of theprojectile.

The invention will bemore fully explained herelnafter with reference tothe accom- .panying drawing in whichit is illustrated and in which,- w aThe figure'is a view, partly in section and in elevation, embodies theinvention.

The fuse to which the invention is shown I 1n the drawing-to be appliedis substantially of ordinary construction, except as hereinafterindicated, comprising a base 0, adapted to be threaded into the body of.which is mounted rotatably on the base a and covers and pro tects theclock movement which is indicated generally at c; and a l which includesa spring-actuated firing-pin (Z, a-sear -(rand a tri ger-leaf 'j, whichis controlled by a contro g disk 9 provided with a releasingnotch 9carried frictionv ally on the stafl .0 of the clock movement andhaving'a coupling 72, between itself and,

the (ap I). The clock movement is driven by a spring k in the usualmanner, one end of the clock-spring being connected to a winding gear71:5. The cap 6 is provided at any b" and a pivoted cover 6 forsuch-aperture, theaperture being so placed as to permit the introductionof a key n provided at one end with a milled head m and at the adaptedto engage the winding gear is, and with a centering point 11:, to entera seat-'0 formed therefor in the frame plate At the time when the fuseis to be used, the cap b is rotated to place the aperture 6 in line withthe seat and\the key m is then introduced and the. winding pinion placedin mesh with the winding gear b woundup or indicated on a scale formedeither on the 7 base or on the cap carrying" with it through thecoupling h,

of a tlm'e'fuse which firing mechamsm' convenient point with an aperturethe controlling disk '9 PatentedfMay 29, 1917. Application filed-August16,1916. seriam o. 115,161. I

whereby the time movementlinav beset so as to bring about the explosionatfthe de-- sired r It will be understood that details of con-.

struction of parts involvedin' the present invention will be varied to:suit" different" conditions of use and that the invention is'notrestricted to the particular co'nst1n1c tionshown and described herein;

-We claim as our invention:.

In a time-fuse foranexplosive projectile, the combination of a, base, .acap rotatable j on the base, a mechanism, and a clock 1 a winding;pinionfor engagement with the i winding gear.

This specification signed thisjth day of August A. D1916. i J

1 WALTER M.

- KENNETH RUSHTON.

